shshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshshsh >> ♪ and you'll be home when you arrive ♪ oprah: every single day i came down from my makeup room on our harpo elevator, i would offer a prayer of gratitude for the delight and the privilege of doing this show. gratitude is the single greatest treasure i will take with me from this experience, the opportunity to have done this work. to be embraced by all of you who watched is one of the greatest honors any human being could have. i've been asked many times during this farewell season, "is ending the show bittersweet?" well, i say all sweet, no bitter, and here's why. many of

us have been together for 25 years. we have hooted and hollered together, had our "aha" moments, we ugly-cried together... [laughter] oprah: and we did our gratitude journals. so i thank you all for your support and your trust in me. i thank you for sharing this yellow brick road of blessings. i thank you for tuning in every day along with your mothers and your sisters and your daughters; your partners, gay and otherwise; your friends; and all the husbands who got coaxed into watching "oprah." [laughter] oprah: and i thank you for being as much of a sweet inspiration for me as i tried to be for you. i won't say good-bye. i'll just say until we meet again. to god be the glory. [applause]

>> ♪ you are walking down a crowded street through various shades of people in the summer's harshest heat a story in your eye well, speak until your mind's at ease 25 years have come and gone and that story's still unfolding suitcase packed, you're moving on with the memories you're holding will you be home when you arrive? 25

you are driving down a country road beside a shady river sky turns dark as stone trees begin to shiver the grace of god is nigh ♪ oprah: we did it! [cheering and applause] >> ♪ 25 years have come and gone and that story's still unfolding suitcase packed, you're moving on with your memories you're holding

and you'll be home when you arrive ♪ oprah: sadie! we did it! we did it, sade, we did it. >> ♪ 25 ♪ [captioning made possible by king world] [captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--]

medicare supplement nsurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to " 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare the see-through body.

with millions of with millions getting ready to hit the road for summer vacation, many of course are looking for a way to ease the pain at the pump. >> oh, boy, please anything. scientists in san diego may be on to something. they're trying to turn algae into the next alternative fuel. kgtv's steve atkinson reports. >> reporter: pond scum, it just sounds filthy. but what if i told you this little green substance will one day be the fuel that runs your car? wait, it already is what runs your car. >> that's what petroleum is, it's ancient algae. >> reporter: forget that myth you were always told that oil comes from dinosaurs. oil is really nothing more than 200 to 300 million-year-old algae pumped out of the ground. here's what scientists came up with. why not grow our own algae and extract the oil from it now before waiting a million years

for it to happen naturally. >> algae makes oil that looks like crude oil and the oil we extract from algae goes into a refinery and converted into diesel or gasoline. >> reporter: dr. steven mayfield is one of the leading researchers trying to unlock algae's potential as an environmentally friendly biofuel. so how far away are we from filling up with a tank of algae biofuel? >> so from you and i driving up, we are probably ten years away. >> reporter: is it worth the wait? well many scientists say we don't have much of a choice. as the world's population explodes, so does our need for oil. and some would say drill, baby, drill. >> drill, baby, drill all you want, you know, all that does is pull it out of the ground quicker. it doesn't change how much we have there and we are done in a hundred years at our present rate of use. and we are accelerating that rate. >> reporter: algae can produce 5,000 gallons of fuel per acre in a year. it grows fast and only needs a lot of sunlight and very little water. so one of the best places to

grow algae is the desert like this algae research farm in the imperial valley. cheap land that doesn't compete with food production and grows much faster than corn, which is used to make ethanol. but critics argue algae generated oil is too costly. some estimate the current price of production during research is about $25 a gallon, but mayfield says technology and innovation will drive the price down while gas prices will continue to rise. in a decade, he predicts algae will be a less expensive alternative fuel and our answer to independence from foreign oil. >> the country that controls energy controls the world, right? if we cannot find a domestic source for energy to power this country, we will be in serious problem, economic problems in the next 10 to 20 years. >> that is very true. >> steve atkinson reporting. that's encouraging. >> an incredible point. whoever has the energy does control the world. that's very true.

look at saudi arabia, such a wealthy country because they have so much oil reserves. >> and actually venture capitalists are pumping millions of dollars into this. ten years is not as far away as it sounds. so keep our fingers crossed running your car on green. that's green. if that's not green, i don't know what is. >> looks like -- i love those green machines. spirulina. oh, we thought we were done. >> i thought we were off the air. >> all right. coming up, everybody, the celebs with the hottest bodies. >> pulling the plug on a 25-year tradition oprah style. "the skinny" is next. >> there you go. >> right. give me the emmy. >> we are on it. "the skinny" is next. >> give me the emmy. >> we are on it. >> today.

♪ ♪ the jheri curl and the bad fur coat that's kind of been our show today. >> caffeine hasn't kicked in. >> we're coming back. time for the skinny. want to talk about oprah. did give everybody shots of her show.

mixed reviews on the farewell but i think when you are as passionate about oprah as people are, you are expecting -- look at that. bring it on. here it comes. >> grand exit. >> did you not hear it like, i'm not giving away a car. we are not going to australia. i thought i heard some people go "well, that sucks." >> i really did. take a listen. this is how she made her grand exit. >> i thank you for being as much of a sweet inspiration for me as i have tried to be for you. i won't say good-bye. i'll just say until we meet again. >> and cue the tears. >> cue the tears. she walks off stage. she kissed stedman. and stopped in the entrance way, did the final wave. and hugging the harpo staff, producers, 400 strong, the staff there. some people were expecting a blowout. i think that was kind of a wrong thing to expect. it was subtle. it was understated. it was graceful and it was a reiteration of all her lessons. i thought it was -- hit the

right note. >> you can tell when rob likes something. >> credit where credit is due. she changed television and nobody can argue about her accomplishments, what she has done for people on the face of the planet not just americans. she is really incredible. i thought it was very tasteful. >> last point, i know we talked about it ad nauseam. i just think the thing to remember from that is that for a young, black unconventionally beautiful woman in the deep south in the 50s and 60s to rise to that level of success, fame and wealth is an extraordinary american story. >> nobody can hold a candle to her. speaking about something that was not tasteful, how about a was not tasteful, how about a 21-carat diamond? >> yeah, my girl. >> 21 carats. you would have to pony up for kim kardashian. >> engaged to a new jersey man. what is his name? i don't even know him? >> basketball player. >> there they are on the cover of "people" magazine. now they're saying she can

make -- what is his name again, david? chris humphreys. >> chris humphreys. now they're saying -- she can make millions off this. they're going to televise the wedding. and the buildup to the wedding. 20-carat ring. my dream has died of being with kim. it's over. >> would you have bought her a 20-carat ring? >> whatever kim wants. yes. i would, i would have tried my best. trust me. >> there you guys are on the hot date that one time. >> the other big news, hotty mcscotty wins "american idol," right, scotty mchotty. he is 17 years old which makes him the youngest person to ever win "idol." >> look at this. i love that. his parents are there. look at his dad. his dad started crying. >> congrats to him. >> nutri-system released a survey about the hottest bodies here. according to men the perfect woman would have j-lo's lean legs and back side, first lady's arm, jessica alba's flat abs. the perfect man would have vin diesel's arms and

matthew mcconaughey's abs. that or the result of that poll. >> what about the bongo drums? >> baby arms. all that. that's the perfect body. i agree about the j-low thing. i agree about the j-low thing.

here would you go next if you had a hoveround power chair? the statue of liberty? the grand canyon? it's all possible ith a hoveround. tom: hi i'm tom kruse, inventor rand founder of hoveround. when we say you're free to see the world, we mean it. call today and get a free overound information kit that includes a video and full color brochure. dennis celorie: "it's by far the best chair i've ever owned." terri: "last year, 9 out of 10 people got their hoveround for "little or no money." jim plunkitt: "no cost. absolutely no cost to me." breaking news...when you call today, we'll include a free hoveround collapsible grabber with the purchase of your power chair. it reaches, it grabs, it's collapsible and it's portable. it goes wherever you go. get it free while supplies last. call the number on your screen to get your free video, brochure and your free hoveround collapsible grabber. call the number on your screen.

here ahe stories to and here are the stories to watch today on abc news. former illinois governor rob blagojevich could testify in his own defense as early as today. he is accused of selling president obama's old senate seat. and there's a new report out this morning on the unhealthy housing market. it shows 28% of all the housing sales during the first part of the year involved homes in foreclosure. and president obama concludes his british visit. he will be in france today where he will attend a major economic summit. and finally, now that oprah winfrey is gone, the big question, of course, is who will take her place, who could take her place? well, how about michelle obama, the first lady? >> while it's not likely, if you heard the advice the first lady

gave school girls in oxford england, she could be a natural fit for the job. here is the bbc's brazia icball. >> reporter: the first lady has established herself to be as big a star as her husband. the audience here may not be as grand as the one in westminster hall, but for michelle obama it is just as important. >> i want to recognize these brilliant young women from the elizabeth garrett anderson school. and i knew that i wanted to visit with all of you in a place like this. look around. i mean, just look at this. all of us believe that you belong here, that this is a place for you, as well. >> reporter: the idea that everyone should dream big was part of the first lady's message when she encountered the elizabeth garrett anderson school in 2009. this girl was there and says her words inspired her. >> when i heard her speak, talking how good education is, everything in the world, and

education leads to, you know, higher aspirations and everything, i was like okay. i should go and try it. >> reporter: michelle obama has often pointed to her own humble origins growing up on the south side of chicago as a potent example of how regardless of background, high achievement is always possible. and with a commitment to education she has inspired many young people with a single comment. it's cool to be smart. a graduate of princeton and harvard, michelle obama is unlike many first ladies before her. she has a natural ease, and although she is clearly not, she seems ordinary. the young girls she met in oxford were utterly smitten. >> inspirational. >> memorable. >> perfect. >> reporter: mission accomplished. razia iqbal, bb news. >> positive role model. i think that's great. >> definitely her campaign for fitness and kids to pay more attention to what they're eating, exercising.

i think it is doing a lot.

y this tornado season is like no other. and in the hardest hit areas more stormy weather slows down the search for survivors buried in debris. it's thursday, may 26th. good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm peggy bunker. after we show you some jaw-dropping video of a tornado in oklahoma hitting a semi truck you may be surprised to hear the driver survived the collision with mother nature. that is the truck there being blown to pieces as you can see. >> the driver got out of there with only a broken arm. that is incredible. >> amazing. also coming up in this half hour accused tucson gunman jared loughner's day in court

his outburst and what happens now after a judge's decision about his mental health. also coming up a bit later on, we'll be talking about oprah's message to her loyal viewers and take this opportunity to visit with dr. phil who has oprah to thank for his astonishing success, as well. really anything oprah touched sort of turned to gold. >> make sure you stay tuned for that story. it's dr. phil. >> your best dr. phil. first, more states are being threatened by severe weather this morning. more than 50 tornadoes have touched down since yesterday. >> oklahoma was particularly hard hit in this latest round of storms. matt gutman reports now from the town of piedmont. >> reporter: that incredible moment when the twister beared down on jeremiah morrison's tractor trailer was broadcast live on oklahoma news, his father watching recognizing his son's truck. the 29-year-old broke his arm but can't believe he is alive. >> closed my eyes. pulled my hands over my face. i felt bouncing around in the cab and somehow or another i am

pretty sure i went out the passenger side window and landed on the ground. >> reporter: but the tornado somehow skipped past the cab where he was sitting and went straight for the trailer. >> if i hadn't had my seatbelt on, it would have jerked me over there, but when the truck stood back up, it would have slammed my head into the window. just the only place it would have gone. >> reporter: it was a deadly 24 hours. this huge twister tore through the town of chickasha, oklahoma, and killed at least one person. >> oh, no. what it destroyed -- >> reporter: watch as it lifted the trailer and tossed it in the air like a twig. on the ground where that massive tornado hit, we saw houses flattened, but we also heard stories of survival. what were the kids thinking? were they screaming? >> they were screaming. they were screaming. >> reporter: cheryl mayo survived along with 15 others in this 6-person shelter built by homeowner kelly johnson. you found this ring? >> i didn't find it. a lady who i don't even know her name came with another group of women. i told them that is one thing i was looking for. i don't know, just makes me

think my grandmother is here. watching over us. >> reporter: but here in oklahoma, the search for survivors continues. a 3-year-old still missing here in piedmont. and missouri hit again by another round of violent storms. in sevilla, missouri, a tornado ripped through the subdivision, school buses crushed. and these scenes of splintered trees and shattered homes are just a bit of reminder of this rising death toll the past 24 hours and this deadly week that has passed. forecasters tell us we won't be out of the woods until at least friday. matt gutman, abc news, piedmont, missouri. >> that's the insult to injury that there's still more bad weather that could hit the same area. >> an awful week. here is your thursday forecast now. as we said, 80-mile-an-hour winds, hail, flash flooding, isolated tornados from alabama to the adirondacks. showers and thunderstorms from new orleans to tallahassee. showers from billings to cheyenne, and up to a foot of mountain snow in idaho. meanwhile, some rain in the pacific northwest. >> all right. we're look at near 60 in

portland and boise. 70, sacramento. 65 in the twin cities. 70, omaha. 81 in dallas. 80s from new orleans to atlanta. 90 in baltimore. crews are now planning a fifth sweep of the rubble in joplin, missouri, this morning looking for survivors of course from sunday's deadly tornado. many more families though have been reunited with their loved ones. this red cross list shows all the people who have been found. in the wreckage of this wal-mart, a stranger helped protect this 3-month-old baby who was separated from mom and grandma. the criminal case against jared lee loughner is on hold indefinitely now that he has been ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial. loughner is the suspect in the tucson shooting rampage back in january that wound ed congresswoman gabby gifford. loughner wasn't completely quiet during the hearing. >> reporter: there were no cameras allowed in the courtroom but the sketches show u.s. marshals dragging jared loughner out of the courtroom after his

dramatic outburst. >> surprise. it was a first. unexpected. it is most rare for anyone to interrupt a federal judge in court, particularly when he is reading a ruling. >> reporter: loughne nchltn yelled out three sentences including, quote, she died in front of me possibly referring to congresswoman gabrielle giffords who he is accused of trying to assassinate. >> i guess he was supposing that gabrielle giffords had died in that instant. many people would have. and maybe he reached that conclusion in error. >> reporter: eric fuller, a shooting victim himself, tells me the hearing was the first time he saw loughner since the shooting. >> the mere appearance of him is very disheveled and he was very disorganized. you don't have to be a professional psychiatrist to know that the boy is disturbed. >> reporter: after the outburst the judge ruled loughner is not fit to stand trial based on extensive reports from two

doctors who examined loughner at a mental hospital in missouri. both doctors agreed loughner has symptoms of schizophrenia. >> tends to support, one would think, the judge's conclusion today. >> reporter: jared loughner will be sent back to a mental health facility in missouri where he will undergo further treatment. he's scheduled to be back in court in september for a similar hearing where a judge will decide if he's made any improvements. in tucson, cory rangle for abc news. at the murder trial of casey anthony, contrasting portrayals of the mother accused of murdering her daughter are now emerging. on the stand yesterday, a former boyfriend and others said that anthony never acted as if anything was wrong around the time the 2-year-old caylee anthony was last seen. she was also described as a party girl, but anthony's ex also said that she had witnessed casey interacting tenderly with her daughter and also making sure she was safe. the brother of figure skater nancy kerrigan has been

acquitted of manslaughter in the death of their 70-year-old father. prosecutors had argued that mark kerrigan triggered his father's heart failure when he grabbed his neck during an allegedly drunken fight. but his sister and mother had insisted all along he did not cause his father's death. kerrigan was convicted of assault. well, democrats in the senate have voted down a controversial republican plan to replace medicare with a voucher program. our jonathan karl caught up with the congressman behind the plan who happens to be getting some high-level advice from a former president. >> reporter: he is the man democrats say wants to destroy medicare. and who some republicans blame for their stunning defeat in new york. as we followed paul ryan, look who he bumped into. mr. democrat, bill clinton. >> hey. >> paul ryan. >> how are you? >> reporter: he even got some surprising words of encouragement. >> i told them before you got here, i said, i said i am glad we won this race in new york.

but i hope the democrats don't use it as an excuse to do nothing. >> reporter: ryan's plan would reduce medicare's costs by eventually replacing the current system with one where seniors would buy government subsidized private insurance. riding through washington, ryan told us republicans need to fight for his plan. what do you say to she is maybe weak-kneed republicans? >> this is not the time to go wobbly. they're going to run the attack ads at us, regardless. this is a time for leaders to be leaders. >> reporter: house republicans overwhelmingly voted in favor of ryan's plan and now may pay a political price. >> reporter: did you just cost republicans the control of the house? >> i think we were elected in this last election to take a stand on fixing this country's fiscal problems. to go after spending to solve this debt crisis, to stop spending money we don't have. >> reporter: what if this destroys your political career? >> i don't care about that. >> reporter: you're seen as a rising star, presidential

candidate. >> this is not the time to be worried about political careers. >> reporter: what if you lose your house seat? >> i will be fine if i lose my house seat. because you know what, i will know i did what i thought was right to save this country from fiscal ruin. >> reporter: backstage with bill clinton, ryan admitted getting a deal with democrats on medicare is slim. >> if you ever want to talk about it -- >> great, thanks. >> reporter: now, bill clinton made it clear he does not support the ryan budget but said the two parties have to got together to keep medicare from going bankrupt. as for ryan's plan, the senate on wednesday rejected it but also rejected by an even bigger 97-0 margin the president's own budget. jonathan karl, abc news, capitol hill. bill clinton still so very active in many ways. always in the mix. well, no one will be blaming the cincinnati reds and philadelphia phillies if they're tired today. teams take the field in philly at 1:00 p.m. >> that will be just under 12

hours after the phils finally beat the reds early this morning after 19 innings. yep, 19. a sacrifice fly was good enough for a 5-4 philly win. >> ouch. that was a long game. that took 6 hours and 11 minutes. the longest major league game of the season. but it wasn't the longest game in either team's history. both have played 21 innings once. >> get some rest, guys. we'll be right back. ♪ day-o ♪ day-o daylight come and me want to go home ♪

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well when you think of pro wrestlers, you probably think of a meat head who smashes chairs and ladders over other meat heads. nick foley is one of the guys but actually he's a lot more. >> he's changing the face of that he has taken the strength he uses in the ring and put it into the fight against rape. here is john berman with the story. >> reporter: the world of pro wrestling is filled with crass, crushing credents. >> everything goes.

>> reporter: but wrestler nick foley would like to add a new adjective to that mix. >> i have the authority. >> reporter: caring. >> i can honestly say i can look you in the eyes and tell you this is as important as anything i have ever done in my life. >> reporter: this bearded, hairy giant of a man is one of the world's most active and unlikely volunteers for r.a.i.n. the rape abuse and incest national network. not the kind of place you expect to see your average man. >> you are not just any man, you are a whole lot of man.? >> yeah, thank you. i'm hoping that's part of the benefit. if i speak, not only to wrestling fans but just to people in general that i bring a different voice to a conversation. >> reporter: believe it or not, foley first became interested in r.a.i.n.n. because of tori amos. ♪ things are going to change ♪ >> reporter: it was his ritual to listen to her music before big matches.

he learned she is a rape survivor. >> i knew i felt helpless. i had no idea how to help them. and i think that my helplessness came across as apathy. >> reporter: now he spends hours every week working on r.a.i.n.n.'s internet hot line, a place where victims can get instant support. >> reporter: what is the hardest part of it for you? >> the hardest part of being a volunteer is understanding that you cannot help everybody. that there are visits that don't end the way you would like them to. >> reporter: have you had your heart broken pretty regularly? >> pretty regularly. >> reporter: he's putting in hours and money. he helped raise more than $120,000. he matched donations and give enough he would even mow your lawn. amanda sandberg is a r.a.i.n.n. volunteer and a rape survivor and she has one single message for foley. >> thank you for not only being a celebrity but being in the trenches with us and for his --

his humility and his approach. he is just a good man. >> if i had two messages, it would be, no means no. and i would ask every dad to go home and talk to their son and let them know when it comes to being a man, there is nothing more important than respecting a woman. >> reporter: he is doing his part. the rest is up to us. john berman, abc news, washington. >> that's pretty cool. >> taking a stand. >> we'll be right back. d.

what i know for sure from this experience with you is that we all are called, everybody has a calling. and your real job in life is to figure out what that is and get about the business of doing it. and that is what i want for all of you. and hope that you will take from

this show to live from the heart of yourself. you have to make a living, i understand that. but you also have to know what sparks the light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world. start embracing the life that is calling you and use your light to serve the world. [ applause ] >> the tears. as we all cry about oprah. great advice from a great woman. throughout the years oprah introduced us to others who were there to give advice such as dr. phil, phil mcgraw. >> dr. phil sat down to talk with our sharyn alfonsi about the thing he wants everyone to get done for oprah in the next 25 years. >> reporter: oprah told viewers that everyone has a calling. she found hers. we sat down with dr. phil, who said it is now his mission to ensure that all of us find ours. >> you've got to find something you are excited about. there's got to be something that lights you up every day because if you are just going

through the motions, you are cheating yourself and everybody around you. >> reporter: people are going to say, but i have got a mortgage to pay, but i have got mouths to feed. >> passion doesn't take money. passion just takes commitment, involvement and a willingness to got out there. and you are going to kiss some frogs. you may try something that doesn't work, doesn't light you up. then do something else. >> reporter: phil mcgraw learned that lesson himself. he grew up in oklahoma and became interested in psychology on the football field after a ragtag team without any shoes or jerseys beat his undefeated team. >> if they can do that with so little because of what they have in here, i want to know what that is. >> reporter: he studied psychology, became a therapist and says he was awful. is that true? did you think you were a terrible therapist? >> here's the thing. i would sit down and say i just met both of you ten minutes ago. and i can't stand either one of you. no wonder you can't get along. you're a jerk and you're no better. i would just tell them the truth as i saw it. >> reporter: where does the

candor come from? >> i will be very honest with you. i grew up pretty poor. >> reporter: as a teenager his family was homeless for a short time. he lived at the ymca. >> when you grow up poor, you are very results oriented. intention doesn't play into it. >> reporter: and so today he urges all of us to be results oriented too. to find and follow our life's calling. >> if you get up every day and you're just going through the motions and there is nothing in your life that you are excited about, you are wasting it. you are blowing it. >> reporter: again he is not saying that you have to quit your job and go climb mt. everest. he is saying that you have to find something in your life, a hobby, volunteering, coaching your kids' baseball team, something you can be passionate about. sharyn alfonsi, abc news new york. >> yeah, which is really great basic advice. sort of the cornerstone of what oprah has been telling people about for years. >> oh, yeah but you think about it too, dr. phil is one in a

cast of people she helped put on the map, discover, further their career. dr. phil, suze orman, rosie o'donnell, rachael ray, nate berkas, she put a lot of folks out there and launched their careers and not to mention all the authors she made a lot of money for through the book club. extraordinary career. >> very good at spotting talent. things people were excellent at. in fact, dr. phil came on board to sort of help her through the trial in texas about the beef ranchers. >> that's right, yeah. >> that's how they met and he was counseling her and giving her advice how to get through the whole experience. boom, here he is. i believe she sold him his syndication which is why he is doing so incredibly well from his own show. a great gift from her as well. >> she had the midas touch. really incredible. now it will be impressive to see now that the show is behind her and a chance to exhale, what she will do with the network, for her own network what she did for her own show. that should be fascinating. can she build that new a powerhouse. >> a lot of people will be reliving the reruns for a long

time. i am going to watch them. i am going to miss her. >> should a high school valedictorian be allowed to rap her commencement speech? >> and the college degrees that are considered useless coming up. n be allowed to rap her high school speech. >> and the college degrees considered useless. coming up. hd 3.

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here is a question for you guys today, do you remember your high school valedictorian? >> no. >> no. neither do i. well, apparently if you were in this particular high school out in kansas, you may remember this one. check it out. ♪ sing it with me now ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ graduation rock ♪ >> that's right. the rapping valedictorian speech. a lot of soul there in kansas. i didn't know that. >> that's how it is done. >> elaine connell is the name. ♪ my name is elaine i got a big brain that's why i am your valedictorian class of 2011 ♪

♪ looking like heaven cooler than everyone hotter than a hot dog bun ♪ >> i can see why that's number one. she's clearly a poet. >> i was just making fun of jimmy dancing to the rap. i am not doing much better. i don't think i will do that. >> he was last in his class. >> speaking of valedictorians. if you are in college, have a major, counting on graduating and making millions of dollars we're going to let you know which majors are probably not worth your time. we're going to start with the lowest one nutrition. chemistry. mechanical engineering. music. child and family studies. those are ten through six. these are not worth your time not going to earn a lot of cash. going into the top ones. fashion design, advertising, agriculture, horticulture, which leads us to the number one most useless degree, drum roll, please, it is the major that landed us right here, journalism. >> that is the saddest thing. you graduated from where? >> university of

colorado at boulder where, by the way "playboy" rated that the number one party school. not what i did when i was there. a side note. >> don't lie. >> not worth your time in journalism. some times it is true. snooki will get her own reality show. >> papers are closing. companies are laying off. north carolina degree. all right. good. >> still a good profession. >> yes, it is. yes, it is. this is very encouraging, all you gossips out there, a study from harvard university that suggests that gossip is actually good for you. >> oh, thank goodness. >> that means all of us here are living forever. gossip is a vital thread in human social interaction. it's a way to learn socially relevant information, dot, dot, dot. it's good for you. go gossip. >> i will not be here tomorrow. i will be taking a vacation day. this is a good thing. most americans don't do that very often. in fact, americans leave $67 billion in vacation days unused. >> unused. are you kidding me. >> really an american-centric thing. we should leave right now. >> not on this show. peace out. got to go.

time to go. d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d

d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d ñ ñ ñ ñ ñ ñ ñ ñ ñ ñ ñ

this morning on "world news now," mean season. the deadly and violent tornados hitting the middle of the country go down in history. and even more stormy weather is now slowing down recovery in the hard-hit city of joplin, missouri. it is thursday, may 26th. good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm peggy bunker. we are hearing astonishing stories of survival from these storms including the trucker who got hit by a twister. his rig smashed to bits. but the driver did live to tell about it. one of many incredible stories. you see cars just being picked up like that tossed into the air. >> mother nature's power is astounding. we've seen that over and over again in the past couple of days. heartbreaking. also in this half hour of

the show, iceland's latest volcano may not be the last to send huge clouds of ash into the sky interfering, of course, with airline traffic. why we could see a lot more of this in the future. and coming up a little bit later on, it is the show everybody is talking about. oprah's farewell and also how her finale marked the end of an era on television. did you watch? what did you think? we are going to get into it. this has been a hot topic in the newsroom. look at oprah, her very first show. she said she had no stylest clearly. >> she had no jheri curl and a bad fur coat. >> bad fur coat. got to second that. that coat was awful. >> how you start is not how you end. she ended big. more dangerous weather on the move right now. tornado watches and warnings have been posted from southern illinois, indiana, down all the way to arkansas and mississippi. >> and at least 14 people have been killed in the latest storm series. this violent weather has slowed recovery in missouri, as well. and t.j. winick joins us from joplin with the latest. t.j.? >> reporter: good morning, rob and peggy. no more tornado victims were recovered on wednesday.

but the search-and-rescue effort continues here in joplin, despite some on and off rain. however, that is nothing compared to the wicked storms that are breaking out elsewhere across the midwest. devastation as far as the eye can see. in tornado-ravaged communities across the midwest. >> oh, my god. oh, no. >> reporter: there have been 69 tornadoes in the past 24 hours. this incredible moment was caught on tape in oklahoma, as a twister tore the trailer of jeremiah morrison's truck to shreds. the 29-year-old was sitting in the cab and survived with only a broken arm. >> all i remember is the truck got lifted up. i put my hands over my face and kind of tucked myself a little bit, and i kind of felt like i was getting bounced around inside the truck, and then i realized i was outside the truck laying on my back in the grass. >> reporter: in arkansas the town of denning took a direct hit. at least three people were killed. joplin, missouri, received just a glancing blow this time. the number of lives lost here is still climbing. >> the point we want to make is we are going to rebuild.

this community is going to revive. >> reporter: residents picked through shattered pieces that were their homes. >> woo! i've been worrying about that. mickey mantle autographed baseball. >> reporter: 3-month-old grayson was reunited with a stranger who protected him inside this wal-mart and fed him a bottle to quiet him during the tornado. >> there are no words to say, the gratitude. i don't think there is a word in the english dictionary that could explain the gratitude that we feel to that man for what he did. i said you are an angel sent from god. >> reporter: in addition to all of the homes here that were destroyed, four schools in joplin were absolutely leveled, six were damaged. so the superintendent vowed the classes would begin on time at the end of august. rob and peggy. >> and the storms had not spared central indiana. severe storms rolled through several communities there with wind gusts up to 70 miles an hour and baseball-sized hail and it was enough, of course to

make quite a mess as you can see there. the local utility company said 10,000 residents were without power because of all the severe weather. and, meanwhile, further north in south dakota, flooding is the main concern there. sandbags are being filled amid fears that the missouri river will pour over its banks. spring's snow melt as well as recent heavy rains are the perfect combination for flooding of low-lying areas. and talking about the weather now, we're going to take a look at your thursday forecast. more severe weather shifts east bringing gusty winds hail and a chance of tornados from alabama to the canadian border. showers and thunderstorms from new orleans to tallahassee and up to a foot of snow in utah and the montana rockies. rain from seattle to reading, california. >> 70 in sacramento. 88, albuquerque. 98, phoenix. 55, chicago. 65, kansas city. most 80s from dallas to atlanta. 78 in boston. elizabeth smart is moving on with her life knowing that her kidnapper will never walk free again. brian david mitchell received two life sentences for abducting

and raping smart for nine months when she was just 14 years old. mitchell softly sang hymns in the salt lake city courtroom as he did during the trial. but smart now 23 years old got a chance to confront him making it clear that he knew exactly what he was doing. >> i told brian david mitchell today in court that whether he received his just sentence here on earth or after this earth life, that one day he will have to be responsible for his actions. >> smart said the sentencing marks the end of a long chapter in her life as well as a beginning of a very beautiful one. she plans to work as a child advocate to help bring missing kids home. jared loughner, the suspect in the january rampage that wounded congresswoman gabrielle giffords, has been ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial. that ruling comes after loughner spent five weeks being observed by mental health professionals. he is now being sent to a facility where experts will work to restore his mental capacities. during his hearing yesterday, loughner burst out saying, quote, thank you for the freak show. she died in front of me."

his next competency hearing has been set for late september. former illinois governor blagojevich could take the stand in his own defense today. rahm emanuel and jesse jackson jr. were among the defense witnesses called in the case. they told the court that they knew nothing about any deals to sell president obama's former senate seat. this is blagojevich's second trial on corruption charges. and the president travels to france today for some high-level meetings with other world leaders. >> but it is mrs. obama who seems to be getting all the attention on this european trip. sunlen miller joins us now from london with more. sunlen? >> reporter: good morning, peggy and rob. the obamas are wrapping up their state visit in london where michelle obama may have found her second calling. move over, oprah, michelle obama may be stepping in. giving dating advice to young students while at oxford university. choose a good husband, she told the young women, and throw out

that checklist. >> there are a lot of women who have the boxes, did he go to the right school, what is his income? >> reporter: 20 years ago a summer associate where she worked wooed her in a different way. >> he was smart. and i like that. and he was low key. and he wasn't impressed with himself. and he was funny. and we joked a lot. and he loved his little sister. >> reporter: mentor michelle said that giving girls advice was the highlight of this trip. >> the dresses, the cars, the horses, the carriages, i can watch that on tv. but moving you guys and pushing you to see more for yourselves is all that matters. >> reporter: but that pomp and circumstance was exactly why the obamas came here upon the invitation of the queen. last night it was the obamas who rolled out the red carpet, hosting her majesty for a dinner at the ambassador's residence. the g8 meetings in france await

the president today. leaders will discuss the middle east, post-earthquake japan, and the global economy. the president previewed a message he will carry today during a speech to parliament. >> but in today's economy, such threats of market failure can no longer be contained within the borders of any one country. >> reporter: on the sidelines of the g-8 meetings, president obama will also hold a bilateral talk with the prime minister of japan and the president of russia. peggy and rob. >> and speaking of europe, why travel to one of the continent's great tourist sites when you can build it for yourself. that's exactly what a group of young engineering students in milwaukee just did by creating a lego leaning tower of pisa. >> well, this one stands just five feet tall. that's 181 feet smaller than the real one in italy. there are about 18,000 legso in the whole building. someone had some extra time. this took 130 hours to construct over the last 3 months. >> that is pretty remarkable speed given that it took 177 years to finish the real tower. >> that is pretty amazing.

then you go there and do the picture where you pretend like you are holding the tower up. better get in line. >> everyone loves a tourist. >> hats off to those students. >> more "world news now" coming up. ♪ why do you build me up buttercup baby ♪ ♪ just to let me down and mess me around ♪ ♪ and then worst of all you never call when you say you will ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] for the things you can't wash freshen it with febreze. ♪ ♪ because febreze doesn't just cover up odors... it penetrates deep into fabrics to eliminate odors and leaves a light fresh scent. febreze. it's a breath of fresh air.

♪ oh, boy. >> the moves. >> that's right. as we mentioned, president obama travels from england to france today. and it should be smooth flying now that the skies are clear from a volcanic ash cloud out of iceland. >> it actually was the second disruptive eruption in just a year. and now some are afraid more could be on the way. >> the bbc's david shukman reports. >> reporter: startling new pictures of how it all began.

lightning flashing across a dark sky, triggered by an eruption so powerful it lifted the ash 12 miles high. the ash was thrown up into some pretty turbulent weather so forecasting isn't easy. this is the latest assessment, the worst ash marked in red, thin ash in pale blue. this is what is below 20,000 feet. that matters for takeoff and landing. it will shift around but gradually disperse. now higher up above 35,000 feet, there's far more of it. that's what was ejected on saturday. but even this is forecast to thin out and eventually vanish by friday. scottish airports, the worst hit, were getting back to normal and pressure from the airlines has led to a new policy, the planes can fly below any ash. >> if there is ash at high levels over uk airspace, aircraft will still be able to land and take off staying at safe levels until they get out from under the ash cloud. >> reporter: but the airlines say the restrictions are still too tight.

ba says a test flight through a red zone found no ash. so what next from iceland? >> these are the most active volcanoes in iceland. >> reporter: well, some researchers warn that we've entered a new, more active phase. >> the probability of having exposures like we have had in the last two years, that is to say, ash plumes over europe have increased significantly. and so we -- well, we should expect to see more of this in the near future. >> reporter: so this volcano has calmed down. but if we are in an active phase, we could get more scenes like this and more disruption to flights every few years. david shukman, bbc news. >> that is really incredible. the first time we saw it too, when you see the ash on the ground causing such a disruption there for so many people who actually live nearby. >> it's scary. it's scary. >> it's pretty amazing. take a look at it there. see it, don't want to fly through that. >> little turbulence right

there. i'm a little afraid of that. >> when we return, memorial day weekend is the unofficial start to the summer travel season. excited to have that big memorial day coming up. >> yes, finally it's warm, yes. we will get some money-saving advice on where to vacation when we come right back. don't go far, everybody. ♪ vacation all i ever wanted ♪ ♪ vacation all i ever wanted ♪ don't go far, everybody. ♪ vacation all i ever wanted ♪ ababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababababab

welcome back, everybody. well, summer vacation season is nearly upon us. but if you have not booked your travel plans just yet, it is not too late. don't worry. here are some tips on how to find the steals and deals out there. we have travelocity's senior editor. thank you for being here. we appreciate it. >> thanks, rob. >> finally it is warm, time for

vacation, let's plan it, a great time of year. you have great tips on how to find some deals out there starting with the value ads which are the freebies that everybody likes free. >> everybody likes free. this is the way you are going to offset rising travel costs, ike like airfare. airfare is higher this summer. >> 16%. >> 16% higher. you want to offset the costs and you'll want to look for freebies, free nights. re refree room upgrades. kids stay free, free meals. tens of thousands of offers like these on travelocity alone. they're out there for the taking. take advantage of all of them. great example, in the caribbean, four seasons nevis, every third night free, kids get a free ferry transfer from the airport. so big money savings there. >> every third night free. fantastic deal. do those deals go up in tough economic times they know people are holding on to money a little more tightly these days? >> that's right and allows the hotels to entice travelers without ruining their brand integrity by slashing rates. >> very cool. you also talked about top secret hotels. >> top secret hotels, this is where you book the hotel without knowing the name of the property until the booking process is complete.

you get vital information, star rating, list of amenities, travelocity customer reviews. star rating. so general location. you get information but you don't get the name. the tradeoff. rates are up to 55% off. so you can do big savings. great for last-minute getaways. city getaway. take, for example, new york, so expensive, right? super popular. in the top five this summer. so look for a top secret hotel, you will pay under $200 a night for a three or four-star hotel which is a bargain by new york city standards. >> huge deal but, again, you don't know the name so that's the slight risk you take in a deal like that. you also talk cruises. some people love to go on the boat and hit the high seas. >> yes. cruises can be a great value. they include so much. your accommodation, your meals, transportation between ports, onboard ship interstatement. they don't include spa treatment, alcohol shore excursions, and if you live within driving distance of a port city, no airfare required. big savings. great deal this summer, royal caribbean,

enchantment of the seas, nine nights, baltimore, $100 per person per night, plus 15% off offshore excursions. >> is there a cruise for younger folks? some people think cruise they think older persons thing. cruises for people in their 30s. >> definitely depends on the line. younger people, you may want to think carnival, fun ships, lots of fun. maybe celebrity doing something a little more sophisticated. >> and also vacation packages which are very cool. >> very cool. all that means is booking your flight and hotel together. you get access to savings you can't get otherwise. we did a study and found that savings is up to $525 per booking. >> really? kind of great to do all in one. you get all the details, the flight and the hotel all done in one shot. makes it a little easier. >> very easy. you pick the flight time, airline, hotel, room type, every element of the trip. just bundling them together gives you great savings. >> that's so good. last thing i want to talk to you about, these vacations, not

packages, all inclusive deals you see on groupon, living social. a lot of great deals. you can save a ton. >> absolutely. all inclusives are a great value. and they're a great stress-free vacation. they include pretty much everything but the kitchen sink. you can put your wallet in the hotel safe. don't think about it again until it's time to go home. it includes gratuities, meals, alcohol, nonalcoholic beverages, nonmotorized water sports. nightly entertainment, and you're going to find these mostly in mexico and in the caribbean, great deal this summer, fiesta-americana, two adults pay $275 per night, that includes everything plus the kids stay free. >> a steal. great deal. >> everything. >> seeing that it's tough times out there, there are people holding on to the money. there are deals to be found if you just hunt around. take your time. look for the best. >> hunt around. those value adds where you will save. >> freebies are beautiful things. absolutely. and the gnome made its way back here, which is very cool. >> our deal hunter in chief. >> absolutely. good to have him here and you. thank you so much. we appreciate it. steals and deals out there, travelocity's senior editor, genevieve shaw-brown, thank you so much. we appreciate it.

>> thank you. >> more "world news now" coming up right after this. "world news now" coming up after this. editor, more "world news now" coming up after this. i'm gonna use less honey. tt>ff@57÷#-3w9"qqú a'pvas$ g=d i'm gonna text less. well, i'm gonna use less bath tissue with charmin!!! ttvwkun+og#wvs#q'ppu;v?2v.ac=uált&p/wlñkñ0k9%"@nkg=@ 0=3l ttvwkun+og#wvs#q'ppu;v?2v.ac=u'l4&p/wlñkñ0k9%"@nkg=@ 0b?h [ female announcer ] with charmin ultra soft you can feel good while using less. tt@l"aé@fv:( charmin ultra soft's ultra-cushiony design tt@l"aé@fcm0 is soft and more absorbent. so you can use four times less versus the leading value brand. ttvwkun+og#wvs#q'ppu;v?2v.ac=uwjeq

well, of course, the end of the world was predicted for last weekend. but for oprah fans, doomsday was actually yesterday. >> that's the truth, that's for sure. after 25 years the queen of daytime said good-bye one more time. diana alvear joins us from los angeles with the details on that last show. good morning, diana. >> reporter: rob and peggy, i would say good morning. but i can't. because i'm sad and wearing black. i'm in mourning. oprah's final show really affected me, so much so i needed two boxes of kleenex to got through it. and, yes, the ugly cry was in full effect. when she walked out on that stage for the last time, there were no guests, just oprah winfrey and 25 years of memories starting with her very first show. >> i had no publicist. no publicist advising me.

no stylists. there was no hair and makeup team. just a jheri curl and a bad fur coat. >> reporter: she's come a long way since then. her secret, just being herself, and that allowed others to be themselves. >> there is more talk about spirituality, there is more talk about abuse, there's talk about family problems, you know, she was one of the first people to talk about gays. >> reporter: she shared lessons learned, aha moments and her innermost feelings about her show. >> every day that i stood here i knew that this was exactly where i was supposed to be. >> reporter: and then oprah gave some final words of wisdom. >> start embracing the life that is calling you and use your life to serve the world. >> reporter: it's that kind of counsel that kept her show on top for more than two decades. her millions of fans grateful for the time they shared with their girlfriend. but no one was more grateful than oprah herself.

>> from you whose names i will never know, i learned what love is. you and this show have been the great love of my life. >> and, you guessed it, as soon as oprah started crying, i started crying, at which point my producer started laughing at me and then he reminded me that oprah is not going away forever, all you have to do is tune in to the own network to get your fix. rob and peggy. >> that sort of sums it up the best. the people that were bawling and the people that were laughing at the people that were bawling. those two sides. we had a debate. some people loved the final show. others said it was too preachy >> it depends if you wanted something splashy and big or you wanted something simple and graceful, kind of ultimately what she gave you. just depends on what you were expecting. >> oh, my gosh. was that a bad hair day or what? what is going on there? >> was that us watching the final season?

>> i do love oprah. yeah, i was tr

t confronts her kidnapper as he is sentenced to life in prison. >> smart went to court with a message for the man who terrorized her and held her captive for months. it's thursday, may 26th. good morning, everyone. i'm peggy bunker. >> and i'm rob nelson. after nine years, elizabeth smart finally had her say and gave her abductor, brian david mitchell, a piece of her mind. find out what smart is doing these days now to help others. and also this half hour, the ruthless tornado season and how it is slowing down recovery in hard-hit joplin, missouri. the search for survivors from sunday's historic twister is now turning very desperate.

and later on, how the first lady made an indelible impression on young women in britain. why some people are now speculating michelle obama could possibly take oprah winfrey's place as the newest role model for women around the world. >> that would be interesting and would be good. >> has done a good job, right. but first, a new chapter for elizabeth smart now that the manage who stole her childhood really is being brought to justice. >> brian david mitchell was sentenced to life with no chance of parole but not before smart got a chance to say her piece. clayton sandell is in salt lake city and joins us now with the latest. hi, clayton. >> reporter: hi, rob and peggy. well, it was a courtroom showdown nearly nine years in the making. elizabeth smart for the first time confronting the man she says put her and her family through nine months of hell. for elizabeth smart, it is a new beginning. >> today is the ending of a very long chapter and the beginning of a very beautiful chapter for me. >> reporter: a chapter in a story that began in 2002 when brian david mitchell kidnapped

smart, then only 14, from her family's home. for nine months she endured daily sexual assaults and was forced to take drugs and alcohol. mitchell told her he would kill her if she tried to escape. in court wednesday, it was her turn to speak. "you took away nine months of my life that can never be returned," she said, "but in this life or next you will have to be held responsible for those actions and i hope you are ready for when that time comes." mitchell, who unsuccessfully mounted an insanity defense, simply rocked in his chair and sang church hymns as she spoke never looking directly at her. >> i think i was so excited to have this day finally here to be able to continue my efforts in child advocacy, making a difference in other children's lives, that there wasn't a feeling of nervousness or fear that could have prevented me from saying what i felt i needed to say.

>> going forward, elizabeth smart says she will now speak for others as an advocate for children, hoping to prevent kidnapping and sexual abuse. rob, peggy. >> pretty amazing there. she's really remarkable. and she really seems to have her composure and her wits about her and seems very healthy. she has a strong family, of course, that is really supporting her. >> to go through all that and coming out on the other side. >> dangerous weather threatening the nation's heartland yet again this morning. more than 50 tornadoes have already touched down during the past 24 hours. >> and in joplin, missouri, crews are planning a fifth sweep through the rubble at daybreak today. of course, all a desperate search for survivors. t.j. winick is joining us this morning with more. t.j. >> reporter: good morning, rob and peggy. no more tornado victims were recovered here in joplin on wednesday. still the search-and-rescue effort continues despite a little bit of bad weather. that is nothing compared to the storms and tornados breaking out across the midwest this week. there was an incredible moment

in oklahoma as a twister tore the trailer of this truck to shreds. incredibly the 29-year-old driver only suffered a broken arm. >> all i remember is the truck got lifted up. i put my hands over my face and kind of tucked myself a little bit. and i kind of felt like i was getting bounced around inside the truck and then i realized i was outside the truck laying on my back in the grass. >> reporter: the town of denning, arkansas, took a direct hit by a twister. at least three people were killed there. >> we are going to rebuild. this community is going to revive. this is -- even though the damage here is extreme. >> reporter: there have also been some uplifting moments as well. like the reunion of a 3-month-old boy and the stranger who protected him at the wal-mart in joplin on sunday as 200-mile-per-hour winds absolutely flattened that business. >> there are no words to say. the gratitude, i don't think there is a word in the english dictionary that could explain the gratitude that we feel to that man for what he did. i said you are an angel sent from god. >> reporter: in addition to all the homes that were destroyed here in joplin, four schools

were flattened, six were damaged. still the superintendent promised that classes would begin on time at the end of august. rob and peggy? >> all right, t.j., thank you. detroit is bracing for more downpours today after getting drenched by more than 4 inches of rain. flash flooding halting traffic and swamped roads leaving some drivers trapped in their cars. the rain came down an inch an hour. and water in some areas was actually chest dweep. violent storms raked over parts of indiana. a tornado touched down southeast of indianapolis with winds topping 70 miles an hour. several people were injured as homes, farms and businesses were hit with hail as big as baseballs. some 10,000 people lost power. all right, and taking a look at your weather now for the day, stormy from birmingham to the canadian border. gusty winds, large hail, also a chance of isolated tornados in nashville, louisville, cleveland, pittsburgh and buffalo. showers and thunderstorms along

the gulf coast and heavy snow in the northern rockies. rain in the pacific northwest. >> 58 in seattle. 60 in salt lake city and near 100 in phoenix. annapolis gets up 70 and detroit, 67. 83 here in new york. 90 in baltimore and 88 in new orleans. and days of deadly unrest in yemen has the u.s. pulling most of its embassy staff out of the persian gulf nation. over 40 yemenese have been killed and dozens wounded in clashes between supporters and opponents of the yemenese president. in addition to the american diplomats being sent to safety, the u.s. is also urging all americans in yemen to get out immediately. in political news now, republican lawmakers say they're sticking with a plan to overhaul medicare despite a surprising election loss here in new york state. >> democrats managed to pick up a congressional seat in a strongly conservative district after the republican candidate backed out and, not backed out, backed a controversial medicare plan. karen travers is now joining us from washington with more on what is at stake. good morning, karen.

>> reporter: good morning, rob. good morning, peggy. this was a very big win for democrats in a very republican district. just a few weeks ago, it didn't seem likely that they would be able to flip the seat, but that was before congressman ryan's budget plan. congressman paul ryan was not on the ballot in tuesday's special election. but could he emerge as the biggest loser? in one of new york's most conservative districts, democrat kathy hokul defeated jane corwin. the race came done to one key issue. >> republican jane corwin supports a budget that essentially ends medicare. >> reporter: that would be congressman ryan's budget plan that would replace medicare with taxpayer subsidized insurance plans. americans age 55 or older would not be affected by the changes. facing withering criticism, ryan defended his proposal. >> people may not like the plan but it fixes the problem. it gets the debt paid off. it balances the budget. >> reporter: democrats are gloating over hokul's win. >> i think new york 26 tells republicans that the end of medicare is bad policy and bad politics.

>> reporter: republicans chalk up their loss to a third party candidate aligned with the tea party who they say drained support from corwin. whatever the spin, it seems clear that without the ryan medicare plan, republicans would have been able to hold on to the seat. democrats think they've finally found a winning issue. an abc news poll last month found that 65% of americans oppose a voucher system for medicare. republicans have a medicare messaging problem. they voted for a piece of legislation that they can't really explain well. >> reporter: that's exactly why senate majority leader harry reid brought ryan's plan to the floor on wednesday. it failed, but it failed along party lines. just five republicans voted against it. rob and peggy. >> all right. now we have a follow-up to a story that we told you about in the same half-hour yesterday. you probably remember dan reeves and the homemade airplane that he was constructing there in his basement. anything that happens in the

basement has got to be a good thing. now we can report that the plane made it out of the basement for the very first time. of course, this was after a trench was dug and the basement wall was torn off. that's no problem. >> oh, yeah, small home repair. reeves will add the wings and finish the plane in a hangar, smart planning. he expects to have it in the air for the first time over the summer. as he said yesterday, he has to get it inspected with the faa before that thing can actually get airborne. >> it's good -- sort of like wonder woman style. you know, the invisible plane, remember? >> no, really? wonder woman. >> looked kind of cool. like it had the see-through sort of body there. am i hallucinating? >> i remember linda blair. i don't remember -- >> you remember the outfit, not the plane. all righty then. we'll be back with more "world news now" after this. ♪ making some wishes out of airplanes ♪ ♪ can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky like shooting stars ♪ in the night sky like shooting stars ♪ let me tell you about a very important phone call i made. when i got my medicare card,

i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement nsurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to " 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare the see-through body.

with millions of with millions getting ready of with millions getting ready to hit the road for summer vacation, many of course are looking for a way to ease the pain at the pump. >> oh, boy, please anything. scientists in san diego may be on to something. they're trying to turn algae into the next alternative fuel. kgtv's steve atkinson reports. >> reporter: pond scum, it just sounds filthy. but what if i told you this little green substance will one day be the fuel that runs your car? wait, it already is what runs your car. >> that's what petroleum is, it's ancient algae. >> reporter: forget that myth you were always told that oil comes from melted dinosaurs. oil is really nothing more than 200 to 300 million-year-old algae pumped out of the ground. so here's what scientists came up with. why not grow our own algae and extract the oil from it right

now before instead of waiting a million years for it to happen naturally. >> algae makes oil that looks like crude oil and the oil we extract from algae goes into a refinery and gets converted into diesel or gasoline. >> reporter: dr. steven mayfield is one of the leading researchers trying to unlock algae's potential as an environmentally friendly biofuel. so how far away are we from filling up with a tank of algae biofuel? >> so from you and i driving up, we are probably ten years away. >> reporter: is it worth the wait? well, many scientists say we don't have much of a choice. as the world's population explodes, so does our need for oil. and some would just say drill, baby, drill. >> drill, baby, drill all you want, you know, all that does is pull it out of the ground quicker. it doesn't change how much we have there, and we are done in a hundred years at our present rate of use. and we are accelerating that rate. >> reporter: algae can produce 5,000 gallons of fuel per acre in a year. it grows fast and only needs a lot of sunlight and very little water. so one of the best places to grow algae is the desert like

this algae research farm in the imperial valley. cheap land that doesn't compete with food production and grows much faster than corn, which is used to make ethanol. but critics argue algae generated oil is too costly. some estimate the current price of production during research is about $25 a gallon, but mayfield says technology and innovation will drive the price down while gas prices will continue to rise. in a decade, he predicts algae will be a less expensive alternative fuel and our answer to independence from foreign oil. >> the country that controls energy controls the world, right? if we cannot find a domestic source for energy to power this country, we will be in serious problem, economic problems, in the next 10 to 20 years. >> that is very true. >> steve atkinson reporting. that's encouraging. >> an incredible point. it's true. whoever has the energy does control the world. that's very true. look at saudi arabia, such a wealthy country because they

have so much oil reserves. >> and actually venture capitalists are pumping millions of dollars into this. ten years is not as far away as it sounds. so keep our fingers crossed running your car on green. that's green. if that's not green, i don't know what is. >> looks like -- i love those green machines. spirulina. oh, we thought we were done. >> i thought we were off the air. >> all right. coming up, everybody, the celebs with the hottest bodies. they're drinking. >> pulling the plug on a 25-year tradition oprah style. "the skinny" is next. >> there you go. >> right. give me the emmy. >> we are on it. "the skinny" is next. >> give me the emmy. >> we are on it.

♪ skinny ♪ ♪ so skinny ♪ >> are we on the air? >> i liked when oprah said the jheri curl and the bad fur coat, that's kind of been our show today. >> caffeine hasn't kicked in yet. >> we're coming back. >> time for the skinny. want to talk about oprah. did give everybody shots of her show.

mixed reviews on the farewell but i think when you are as passionate about oprah as people are, you are expecting -- look at that. she was like bring it on. here it comes. >> that's right. grand exit. >> did you not hear a sigh like, i'm not giving away a car. we are not going to australia. i thought i heard some people go "well, that sucks." >> i really did. take a listen. this is how she made her grand exit. >> i thank you for being as much of a sweet inspiration for me as i have tried to be for you. i won't say good-bye. i'll just say until we meet again. >> and cue the tears. >> cue the tears. she walks off stage. she kissed stedman. and then she stopped in her entranceway, did the final wave. and hugging the harpo staff, producers, 400 strong, the staff there. some people were expecting a blowout. i think that was kind of a wrong thing to expect. it was subtle. it was understated. it was graceful and it was a reiteration of all her lessons. i thought it was -- hit the right note. >> you can tell when rob likes

something. >> credit where credit is due. she had changed television and nobody can argue wtih her accomplishments and what she has done for people on the face of the planet, not just americans. she is really incredible. i thought it was very tasteful. >> tasteful. last point, i know we talked about it ad nauseam, but i just think the thing to remember from that is that for a young, black, unconventionally beautiful woman in the deep south in the '50s and '60s to rise to that level of success, fame and wealth is an extraordinary american story. >> nobody can hold a candle to her. okay, speaking though about something that was not tasteful, how about a was not tasteful, how about a 21-carat diamond? >> yeah, my girl. >> 21 carats. you would have to pony up for kim kardashian. >> kim kardashian is engaged to a new jersey net. what is his name? i don't even know him. >> basketball player. >> there they are on the cover of "people" magazine. now they're saying she can make -- what is his name again, david? chris humphreys.

okay. >> chris humphreys. >> and so the other thing, she can make millions off this because they're going to televise the wedding and the buildup to the wedding. 20-carat ring. my dream has died of being with kim. it's over. >> would you have bought her a 20-carat ring? >> whatever kim wants, yes. >> you would have figured out -- >> i would. i would have tried my best. >> there you guys are on the hot date that one time. >> the other big news, hotty mcscotty wins "american idol," right, scotty mchotty, i think that's what everybody called him. he is 17 years old which makes him the youngest person to ever win "idol." >> look at this. i love that. and his parents are there. look at his dad. his dad started crying. >> congrats to him. and real quick here nutri/system released a survey about the hottest bodies here. according to men, the perfect woman would have j-lo's lean legs and backside, the first lady's arm, jessica alba's flat abs. the perfect man would have vin diesel's arms and matthew mcconaughey's abs. those are the results of that poll.

>> matthew mcconnie's abs? >> yes. >> what about the bongo drums? >> baby arms. all that. that's the perfect body. i agree about the j-low thing. thing.

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call the number on your screen. and here are the stories to watch today on abc news. former illinois governor rob blagojevich could testify in his own defense as early as today. he is accused of selling president obama's old senate seat. and there's a new report out just this morning on the unhealthy housing market. it shows 28% of all the housing sales during the first part of the year involved homes in foreclosure. and president obama concludes his british visit. he will be in france today where he will attend a major economic summit. and finally, now that oprah winfrey is gone, the big question, of course, is who will take her place, who could take her place? well, how about michelle obama, the first lady? >> while it's not likely, if you heard the advice actually the first lady gave school girls in oxford england, she could be a

natural fit for the job. here is the bbc's razia iqbal. >> reporter: the first lady has established herself to be as big a star as her husband. the audience here may not be as grand as the one in westminster hall, but for michelle obama it is just as important. >> i want to recognize these brilliant young women from the elizabeth garrett anderson school. and i knew that i wanted to visit with all of you in a place like this. look around. i mean, just look at this. all of us believe that you belong here, that this is a place for you, as well. >> reporter: the idea that everyone should dream big was part of the first lady's message when she encountered the elizabeth garrett anderson school in 2009. this girl was there and says her words inspired her. >> when i heard her speak, talking how good education is, everything in the world, and education leads to, you know,

higher aspirations and everything, i was like, okay. i should go and try it. >> reporter: michelle obama has often pointed to her own humble origins growing up on the south side of chicago as a potent example of how regardless of background, high achievement is always possible. and with her commitment to education she has inspired many young people with a single comment. it's cool to be smart. a graduate of princeton and harvard, michelle obama is unlike many first ladies before her. she has a natural ease, and although she is clearly not, she seems ordinary. the young girls she met in oxford were utterly smitten. >> inspirational. >> memorable. >> perfect. >> reporter: mission accomplished. razia iqbal, bbc news, oxford. >> positive role model. i think that's great. >> definitely her campaign for fitness and kids to pay more attention to what they're

eating, exercising.